Cavs vs. Raptors preview and gamethread
After a playoff like environment against the Thunder, can the Cavaliers not fall victim to playing to the level of their competition?
The Cleveland Cavaliers look to extend their win streak to 12 against the lottery-bound Toronto Raptors. You can watch the game with Tony Pesta and Corey Walsh at 7 pm on Playback.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (32-4) vs. Toronto Raptors (8-29)
Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse - Cleveland Ohio
When: 7:00 p.m. - Thursday, Jan. 9
TV: Fanduel Sports Network Ohio (previously Bally Sports), NBA League Pass
Line: Cavaliers - 15.5
Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Max Strus, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen.
Cavs injury report: Donovan Mitchell - OUT (rest) Sam Merrill - QUESTIONABLE (ankle), JT Thor - OUT (G League)
Expected Raptors starting lineup: Isaiah Quickley, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Raptors injury report from Wednesday: Jamison Battle - OUT (G League), Ulrich Chomche - OUT (G League), A.J. Lawson - OUT (G League), Jonathan Mogbo - OUT (G League)
What to watch for
Do the Raptors have the grit to go to battle with Cleveland?
Earlier this week after a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, RJ Barrett commented on how the Raptors were not showing the same level of tenacity that they had to start the season. This would prove true as they are currently 1-9 in their last ten games.
It would be fair to point out how injuries have derailed what little chance the Raptors had to be competitive this season. Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick, and Immanuel Quickley have all missed time this season, totaling 54 games missed between the core Raptors group.
Something that spells major trouble for the Raptors despite the massive talent gap between the two clubs, is the play style. Cleveland this season has been a juggernaut on the offensive end, particularly from the three-point line. Cleveland has six players on the roster who are shooting above 40% from the three-point line at least 2 attempts a game compared to Toronto’s three players (Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, and Jameson Battle).
In that same regard the Raptors shoot the three ball at one of the lower rates in the league. The Raptors currently rank second in the league on frequency from three. Only 33.5% of the team’s looks come from the three-point line meanwhile the Cavaliers rank eighth with 42%. As we have seen before, if the Cavaliers have it going offensively then they are hard to go toe to toe with. The question is, do the Raptors have the players to keep this game close?
Battle of the Bigs?
Coming off the game against the Thunder, the storyline was about how Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen took over to propel the Cavaliers to the win. Will this formula prove true again against the Raptors? While the Thunder are a smaller team overall, the Raptors are the opposite. The Raptors are one of the taller teams in the league. They possess an ability to muck most games up with their physicality and length.
This will be a test for the Cavalier bigs as they look to continue their form. While the stakes are not even close to as high as on Wednesday, seeing this playstyle out would be beneficial for the Cavaliers. Relying heavily on the play of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell pigeonholes the Cavaliers from reaching their postseason potential. Yesterday we saw them excel in all facets of the game. They dominated the paint, creating opportunities for others and each other, while also scoring in a multitude of ways.
Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes possess more of a physical challenge than the Thunder frontcourt of Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams. While the talent of the Raptors is nowhere near the Thunder, it still should provide a good idea of how they respond to physical play. Something that could closely resemble what the postseason will challenge the Cavaliers with. Hopefully, if last night was any indication, Allen and Mobley will be up to the task.
Update: This was updated to reflect Mitchell being ruled out for this game.